Imaging apparatus and method for controlling the same

Abstract

Information relating to object distances in a plurality of areas in an imaging plane is acquired, and a threshold value for an object luminance at which imaging is performed by flashing an illumination device according to a difference between an object distance in a reference area and the object distances in the plurality of areas.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An imaging apparatus capable of performing imaging using an illumination device, comprising:
 a light metering unit configured to acquire object luminance information; 
 an acquisition unit configured to acquire information relating to object distances in a plurality of areas; and 
 a flash control unit configured to actuate the illumination device during imaging if a luminance value based on the object luminance information acquired by the light meting unit is less than a threshold value, 
 wherein the flash control unit changes the threshold value according to an object distance in a reference area and a difference between the object distances in the plurality of areas based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, 
 wherein the flash control unit decreases the threshold value with increasing object distance in the reference area from a predetermined range. 
 
     
     
       2. The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flash control unit decreases the threshold value with increasing differences among the object luminances in the plurality of areas. 
     
     
       3. The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a setting unit configured to set an imaging sensitivity, 
 wherein the setting unit increases an upper limit of the imaging sensitivity to be set when imaging is performed without flashing the illumination device with increasing object distance in the reference area from a predetermined range. 
 
     
     
       4. The imaging apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the setting unit increases the upper limit of the imaging sensitivity as the flash control unit decreases the threshold value. 
     
     
       5. The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the reference area is an area where a main object is considered to exist. 
     
     
       6. The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the reference area is an area where the object distance is the shortest based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit. 
     
     
       7. The imaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a focus detection unit having a plurality of focus detection areas and configured to detect a defocus amount in each of the plurality of focus detection areas, 
 wherein the information acquired by the acquisition unit includes information representing the defocus amount in each of the plurality of focus detection areas detected by the focus detection unit. 
 
     
     
       8. The imaging apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the reference area is an in-focus area selected from among the plurality of focus detection areas. 
     
     
       9. The imaging apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the flash control unit changes the threshold value without using the object distance in the area, where the defocus amount falls out of a depth of focus determined based on a full aperture value. 
     
     
       10. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus capable of performing imaging using an illumination device, the method comprising:
 acquiring object luminance information; 
 acquiring information relating to object distances in a plurality of areas; and 
 flashing the illumination device during imaging if a luminance value based on the acquired object luminance information is less than a threshold value, 
 changing the threshold value according to an object distance in a reference area and a difference between the object distances in the plurality of areas based on the acquired information, 
 decreasing the threshold value with increasing object distance in the reference area from a predetermined range.